Companies that manufacture and support their own products tend to have the deepest and broadest expertise on those products. Often, individual manufacturers will maintain a repository of their own knowledge, and make such knowledge available to their customers to assist them in troubleshooting problems with their products. In some cases, this knowledge can be stored, in the form of case data in a solved case database, known as a knowledgebase, which can then be used by a computerized troubleshooting system such as the SpotLight® case-based reasoning system provided by the applicant, to troubleshoot the problems.
In some cases, however, a troubleshooter may face a dilemma. For example, when the products from several manufacturers are combined, such as an engine on an aircraft. A problem could relate to a product from one of several manufacturers. In such a case, the technician may not know whether to go to the aircraft manufacturer or the engine manufacturer for the best troubleshooting guidance.
Similarly, the manufacturers may also face a dilemma. They may not know whether they should copy, convert, and update their supplier's troubleshooting guidance for the life of the product, or direct their customers to the supplier for troubleshooting guidance when necessary. If the manufacturers do the latter, they may lose feedback from their valued customers, which is a concern.
There is accordingly a need for improved methods and systems for troubleshooting problems in aircraft systems, and in other complex systems, which address these concerns.